Improvement in lumber-driers



3 Sheet s-Sheet 1.

P. G. FINN. Lumber-Driel.

No. 220,225. PatentedOct. 7,1879.

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3 Sheet s-Sheet 2.

P. G. FINN. Lumber-Briar.

No. 220,225.v Patented oct. 7,1879.

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PHILANDER G. FINN, O-F ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN LUMBERDRIERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 220,225, dated October7, 1879; application filed July 16, 1879.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, PHILANDEE G. FINN, ofErie, in the county of Erie and State of Pennsylvania, have invented anew and useful Lumber Dry-Kiln 5 and I do hereby declarethe following-tobe a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to the construction of dry-kilns for drying lumber,and consists in an improved construction of the kiln and the Vmanner ofpiling the lumber therein.

My device is shown in the accompanying drawings, as follows:

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional View taken 011 the line mx in Figs. 2 and 3. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view takenon the lines y y in Figs. 1 and 3. Fig. 3 is a horizontal longitudinalsectional view taken on the line z z in Figs. 1 and 2.

The parts of the kiln are as follows: AA A A are the outer uprightwalls. C is the top or roof. B is the Hoor. H H, 8vo., are thesteampipes, arranged below the floor. G is the escape-pipe or chimney. Jis the throat or opening for the hot air to enterthe kiln from thesteam-pipe chamber. I is the fresh-air inlet. M-N O P are hot-air lues.A are doors to be opened when iilling or emptying the kiln. L representsthe lumber in the kiln. S are strips which lie between each layer oflumber.

Other details of construction will fully appear hereinafter.

At each end of the kiln are placed, on each side, uprights K, which keepthe lumber off the ends of the kiln, and leave a space. At one end ofthe kiln two horizontal pieces, D F, divide this space, and at the otherend of the kiln one such piece, E, divides the space then formed by theuprights K. (See Fig. 1.) These partitions form the air-lines M N O P.

The arrows in Fig. 1 show the direction of the hot air, which is asfollows: It irst passes through the throat J into the flue or space M.It then nds it way through the spaces left between the layers of lumber,and enters the space N at the other end of the kiln. The partition Dconfines the air in its passage to the lower section of the pile oflumber.

When the air has reached the space N, it rises and re-enters the pile oflumber, and passes through the portion thereof which lies above thepartition D and below the partition E, and passes into the space O, whenit again rises and enters the section of the pile which lies above thepartition E and below the partition F, and finally passes into the spaceP, from whence it is free to leave the kiln through the chimney G. Thusit has passed through the lumber three times.

As the two lower sections of the pile receive the air when it ishottest, they will dry first. I therefore make the partition D in theform of a damper, and, by turning it into the position shown by dottedlines in Fig. 1, the spaces M and O are thrown together, and the airwill pass directly up and through the upper section of the pile. This isdone the last few hours of the drying, and brings the whole pile to auniform dryness.

The manner of piling the lumber in order to secure this circulation ofthe air is as follows: The boards all lie transverse the kiln, and areplaced closely together at their edges. Strips S lie transverse thelumber and lengthwise of the kiln, between each two layers of boards,near the ends of the same. This forms between each two layers of boardsa free open passage for the air from end to end of the kiln. No hot airwhatever comes in contact with the ends of the boards. No hot air entersthe space between the ends of the boards and the sides of the kiln, and,except in stormy weather, the sides of the kiln could be removed and notinterfere with the process of drying. An advantage arising from this isthe avoidance of season-checks.

At right angles to the uprights K are placed boards K', which face thelumber. These are simply guides for laying the strips S against. Whenboards of the length shown in the drawings are used, the strips lie onthe outer edge of the boards K; but if shorter boards were used thestrips would be laid against the inner edges of the boards K. When laidas shown the boards K' also close the passages through the lumber anddivert the air into the fines.

The advantages ofmy kiln are First, cheapness and simplicity ofconstruction; second, complete circulation of the air through the pileof lumber, thus bringing the hot air in contact with both sides of eachboard 5 third, not exposing the ends of the lumber to the heat, causingthem to season slowly, and thus avoiding cracking; fourth, completecontrol ot' the air in its movements, causing it to circulate as desiredthrough the lumber, thus bringingr all the lumber to an even or unit'ormstate of dryness.

I am aware that it` is common to pile lumber with strips between thelayers ot' boards, so as to alloiv the air to circulate freely throughthe pile, and I do not intend to clailn such a manner of piling lumber;but my invention consists in thus piling the lumber, in connection withdevices for forcing the air through the interspaces thus formed, andthus securing a proper circulation oi' air.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. In a board-kiln, the combination,with the end Walls, bottom, and steam-pipe chamber of the saine, ot' theupright partitions K, placed substantially as described, so as to formair ducts or filles at the ends of the pile ot' lumber, substantially asset forth.

2. In a board-kiln, the combination, with the end Walls, bottom, andsteam-pipe chamber of the saine, of upright partitions K and horizontalpartitions D E F, placed substantially as described, so as to form airspaces or tlues M N 0 P, substantially as set forth.

3. In a board-kiln, the combination, with airues M N O P at the endsthereof, formed substantially as described, of a board pile formed ot'boards lying across the kiln, and strips S lying lengthwise of the kilnat or near the ends of the boards, thus forming interspaces which serveas air-ducts from the dues at one end of the kiln to the ilues at theother end of the kiln, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. In a boardkiln which has vertical passages for hot air at oppositeends thereof, the combination, with said vertical passages, of a pileot' boards, piled substantially as described, so as to have horizontalpassages through the same connecting with the said vertical passages,and obstructions placed in said vertical passages substantially asshown, so as to divert the hot air from a. vertical t0 a horizontaldirection, and cause it to ow through the horizontal passages in theboard-pile from the vertical passage at one end to the vertical passageat the other end of the kiln, substantially as and for the purposes setforth.

In testimony' whereof I, the said PHILANDER G. FINN, have hereunto setmy hand.

PIIILANDER G. FINN.

Witnesses:

JN0. K. HALLooK, S. S. SPENCER.

